Chapter 42 Pregnant, Are You Responsible?
In the cramped elevator, Thalia's disdainful tone cut through the air like a knife.
The woman said one thing, Thalia shot back with another.
William listened in silence, his eyes growing darker by the minute.
The air in the elevator grew increasingly stifling.
Thalia felt an unfriendly gaze fall upon her, thick with scrutiny.
She glanced at him sideways while holding her phone.
The elevator stopped at the 31st floor, and in an instant, William dragged Thalia out, gripping her arm tightly.
Thalia wanted to curse him out, but the words stuck in her throat as she remembered she hadn't hung up the phone and couldn't afford to lose her composure.
Once she hung up, she finally spoke, "William, what the hell are you doing?"
The bathroom faucet was turned on.
William grabbed Thalia's hand and shoved it under the running water, squeezing out hand soap and scrubbing furiously.
"William, are you crazy? This is my hand, not a pig's trotter. Be gentle…"
"Are you out of your mind? Why are you using a toilet brush?"
"William…"
"William, have you lost it, scrubbing my hand with a toilet brush?"
"William…"
Screams echoed through the bathroom for a long time. Thalia kept cursing, and William's actions never ceased.
Thalia realized that the harsher she cursed, the harder he scrubbed.
When her curses finally stopped, William threw the brush to the ground with a clatter.
"Had enough?"
Thalia cradled her reddened hand, tears welling up as she looked at William.
"If you're sick, go to a hospital."
"Do other men feel good to touch?"
"What?" Thalia thought she had misheard.
"Do other men feel good to touch?"
Thalia: ...
"You're not doing this because I touched another man, are you?"
William gripped Thalia's chin, pressing her against the door.
"I don't care if you touch other men, but touching me with the same hand? That's a big no-no."
Sending love letters to dozens of guys, touching every man she could find—that's Thalia for you.
Ten years had passed, and Thalia's ways hadn't changed at all.
Promiscuous, casting a wide net.
No sense of responsibility.
Thalia sneered, "Mr. Brown, haven't you touched other women? I don't mind if you're not clean, but you mind if I am?"
"Slander?"
"Truth."
"Proof," William's grip on her chin tightened, leaving a red mark on her pale face.
Thalia swatted his hand away, "Who I touch has nothing to do with you, Mr. Brown. Are you my husband or my boyfriend? Who do you think you are to control me?"
"When I cherish you, you're a treasure; when I drop you, you're just shattered glass."
"I'm done chasing you."
William, this repressed man, if it weren't for his talent and looks, who would bother pursuing him?
Thalia was the princess of Emerald City. If it weren't out of necessity, would she ever seek him out?
What a joke.
"Am I something you can pick up and drop whenever you want?"
Thalia had barely taken two steps before William dragged her back to the couch, her curses dying on her lips as he grabbed her cheeks and kissed her.
Her shirt was torn apart in William's hands…
The living room was a mess...
Thalia went from cursing to feeling unexpectedly comfortable, thanks to William's skills.
...
The next morning, Thalia woke up sore all over, her mind slowly piecing together the events of the previous night.
Last night... they had sex?
"Awake?"
Thalia pulled the blanket over her face.
William paused at the bedroom door, "Your change of clothes is at the foot of the bed."
"What are you doing?" Thalia asked as she changed and came out, seeing William crouched by the couch, wiping something with wet wipes.
William smiled faintly, "What do you think?"
Thalia: ...
She didn't need to ask what the mess on the couch was. She knew.
Last night's encounter had indeed been intense.
If the first time was due to being drunk, then last night was purely the joy of their souls colliding.
Otherwise, how could William's expensive leather couch be in such a sorry state...
"I didn't see anything," Thalia said, unable to look directly at the mess.
She felt embarrassed yet relieved that she had slept with William.
As she walked to the bathroom, she suddenly remembered something and turned to William, "Did you wear a condom last night?"
"No."
"Are you even a man?"
William threw the wet wipe into the smart trash can, "You confirmed that last night. You even called me daddy while begging."
Thalia: ... "If I get pregnant, will you take responsibility?"
"…"
"Mr. Brown, what's your deal with not wearing a condom?"
"Simply didn't have any at home."
Thalia didn't believe him, staring at him, "You're joking, right? A single man without condoms is like a bank vault without a password."
William: ... Clearly, Thalia had a lot of strange metaphors in her head.
"Didn't have any means didn't have any. I wouldn't lie to you."
Thalia: ... "Buy me some birth control."
She threw the words out and went into the bathroom.
Not two seconds later, a scream came from the bathroom, "William, you bad man."
"Not taking off my makeup? What's your problem? Do you know how much I spend on this face every year? Do you know the dangers of sleeping with makeup on?"
William: ... Headache.
"I don't know how."
If he knew such things, that would indeed be strange. Thalia had a whole list of bad man accusations waiting for him.
Thalia: ...
She was furious, shutting the bathroom door. When she came out with a cold face, the takeout and birth control pills had arrived.
Thalia peeled open the foil and was about to swallow the pill when she paused, "Mr. Brown, since we've slept together, can you take care of my lawsuit?"
They were at this point; he couldn't just shirk responsibility, could he?
William poured a glass of water and handed it to her, "Two different matters."
Thalia: ...
She raised her hand and threw the pill into the trash can.
William's eyebrows raised, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Not taking it. If I get pregnant, that's great. If I'm too poor to eat, I'll bring the baby to your law firm to scrounge for food!"
William: ...